Engine-starter.



J. .D. KNBEDLER.

ENGINE STARTER. I APPLICATION FILED sEPT n, 1912.

F O 7 Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

I] HIIIHHIHIHHHIIHIHIIIIIILJIH HIHHWH lllllllllfl!IIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllll UNITED srh rns PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BEAM KNEEDLER, OF SIOUX CITY, IOVIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO lBUELCOUCH AND ONE-THIRD TO N. T. HANSON, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

ENGINE-STARTER;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

Application filed September 17, 1912. Serial No; 720,884.

To a]? whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN DEAM KNEE- I DLER, a citizen. of the UnitedStates, resid- 1 gine-Starters; and I do Thisinvention relates to enginestarters,

and it relates more particularly to an improved mechanism for utilizingcompressed air for starting internal combustion engines. An object ofthe invention is to provide an improved mechanism of this character 7which may be easily attached to most any automobile of ordinaryconstruction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission gear memberwhich may be quickly and easily attached to fly wheels of differentsizes, in such relation that it will probably mesh with the teeth of theother gear elements of the engine starter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form oflongitudinally shiftable power transmission shaft in combination withthe other elements of' mechanism.

Other objects and advantages -niay be recited hereinafter and in theclaims.

Engine starters of a similar nature and comprising cer ain; elements ofthis invention, have been previously described and claimed by me, inapplications #692,085 and 680,708, filed April 20, 1912 and Feb. 29,1912 respectively.

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In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,Figure 1 is a fragmental plan'view of certain portions of'an automobilehai ing my improved eng'ine starter attached thereto, and Fig.2 is avertical sectional View on the axial plane of the longitudinallyshiftable shaft. I Referring to these drawings by reference characters,which correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, themain drive shaft of an automobile is designated by the numeral 5, thefly wheel thereof being designated 6; 7 designating the dash board whichis apertured at 8 for the recepnon bf 'a bearing 9, said bearing" beingformedinte rally with a hollow cylindrical keepermemlier 10,longitudinally slotted at 11, and laterally slotted or recessed at 12,the peripherall y and laterally extending flange 13 being formed at thejunction of the elements 9 and 10. A shaft 14 is r0- tatably mounted inthe bearing 9, being also longitudinally movable therein. Said shaft isprovided with an annular groove 15, at one end, its other end beingmounted in a bearing 16. The niedial portion of the shaft is reduced at17 so as to form shoulders 18 and 19 at the ends of the reduced portion.

This reduced portion is mounted in a hearing 20, a screw 21 beingsecured within the bearing 20 and extending into the recess be tween theshoulders 18 and 19, for the purpose of contacting with these shouldersand thereby limiting the longitudinal movement of the shaft 14, whileallowing it to rotate freely. A shiftable head 22 fits snugly within thecylinder 10 and carries a stud or detent 23 which is adapted toalternately enter the lateral slots 12 and 12'. The head 22 is alsoprovided with astud 2 1 which extends intoa central cylindricalaperture'25 of the head; andinto this aperture 25 extends theperipherally grooved end of, the shaft' 14, while the stud 24 extendsinto the peripheral groove 15. A handle or knob 26 is formed on the head22, and by means of this handle the head may be partially rotated withinthe cylinder 10, while the shaft 14 may freely rotate within the head22.

A wind motor, comprising a casing 27, blades 28 and a hub sleeve 29, issecured on the dash board 7, while the shaft 14 extends through the"sleeve 29, said sleeve having a longitudinal groove 30 into whichextendsa stud 31, the latter being fixed to the shaft 14. It will beseen, therefore, that the shaft 14 may be moved longitudinally throughthe sleeve 29, while said sleeve is held against relative rotation withthe shaft 14, by means of the stud 31, and as the blades 28 are se curedon the sleeve 29, revolving movement of the bladeswill impart motion tothe leeve 29 and shaft 14:.

A gear member, comprising a spur gear 32 and a beveled gear 33, issecured on the i tion). The pump 39 communicates with a through themedium compressed air tank 40, through the medium of a pipe 41, a checkvalve t2 being provided for preventing the return of air from thecompressed. air tank 40 into the pump. A pipe' 43 communicate with theair motor, of a valve member l4. Air from the compressed air tank passesfrom the inlet pipe 43 into the air motor, strikes the paddles or blades28 and causes them to revolve, and then passes out through the exhaustpipe or outlet port 45, thereby rotating the shaft 14 and the gearwheels 32 and 33.

Having secured the elements described in proper relation on theautomobile. I next secure the gear member 46 6, and adjust the member 46with proper relation to the gear member v 32,---33, either by shiftingthe position of the wheel 6 upon the shaft 5 or by reversing orotherwise changing the position of the member 46 on the fly wheel. Iadjust the member 46 in concentric relation to the shaft 5 by means ofthe screws 4-7; apertured and internally threaded lugs 48 being formedon one side of the gear member 46.-for receiving the screws 47. While Ihave described and shown this means of securing the gear mem- -,ning,

her 46 to the fly wheel; I do not invention to this specific means. iThe operation of the device is as follows: In the position shown, theengine (not shown} which actuates the shaft- 5, may be i'unning in theusual way independently of the starter mechanism or it may be standingidle. Now. assuming'that the engine is'runand it is desired to pum airinto the tank 40, the operator grasps t e handle 26, turns it incontra-clockwise direction, so as to bring the stud 23 out of the righthand slot- 12, into the longitudinal slot 11, and so that the head 22and shaft-14 may be moved longitudinally until the stud 23 comes intoregistrywith the lefthand slot 12: whereupon said stud maybe turned intosaid slot 12, for retaining the shaft 14 and gear member in properrelation with the gear members 46 and 3-5, the gear member 32 being thenin mesh with the gear member 46. while the gear member 33 is in meshwith the gear member 35. While in this position, the gear member 32-33constitutes an intermediary gear connection between the limit my gearmembers 46 and 35, so that as the flv' wheel 6 is driven by the engine,the toothed gearmembers 46, 32-33 and 35 will be rotated, so as toactuate the pitman 36 and piston rod 38, of the pump 39, for forcingcompressed air into the tank or reservoir 40.

The engine may be thus employed whilethe automobile is going down gradeor when the automobile is not being propelled by the engine. Having thuscompressed air in the reservoir &0, the shaft 14 may then hecshiftshaft5, so as to tion shown,

ed into the position shown. During the pumping operation, the valvebeing closed, the motor blades 28 will run idly in the casing 27. Nowassuming that the engine has been stopped, and it is desired to start itagain, the handle 26 is grasped by the operator who turns the same untilthe stud 23 has been disengaged from the righthand slot 12, and movessaid stud into engagementwith a middle slot 12, thereby moving andsecuring the gear wheel 32 in mesh with the gear member 46. In thisposition, the The valve44 is now opened by the operator, sothat'compressed air from the reservoir 40 rushes through the pipe 43 andvalve il-l into on the iiy wheel 2 contact with the blades 28. so torotate the shaft H and gear wheel 32, and thereby rotate the gear member46, fly wheel 6 and start the engine. As soon as the engine is started,the valve l-i isclosed, whereupon, the gear member 32-33 may either bemoved into the inoperative posiorj into mesh with the gear wheel 35.

It will be seen that this mechanism constitutes a practical brakingdevice whereby the speed of the automobile while going down hill may belimited to a very considerable extent; thereby eliminating the necessityfor using a friction brake, under ordinary conditions.

It will be seen that I have provided a mechanism of this character whichis fully capable of attaining the foregoing objects, and in a thoroughlypractical and eflicient manner.

I do not limit my invention to the exact; details of construction,combination and arrangement of parts, as herewith illustrated anddescribed, but my invention may only be limited by a reasonableinterpretation of the claims. i

I claim:

1. In an engine starter, the combination with a fly wheel of an engine,of a toothed gear member fitted onto the periphery of the fly wheel, apump. a gear member havin axis stationary with respect tothat of the flywheel, a pitman operatively connecting the pump with said gear wheel, areservoir, a pipe communicating with the pump and the reservoir, an airmotor, means for establishing and interrupting communication between thereservoir and the air motor for actuating the air motor at will, and anintermediary gear member having means associatedtherewith for shiftingit into mesh with the toothed ring and with the said first gear memberor alternately with the toothed ring independently of the said firstgear member.

its

2. In an engine starter, the combination i with a fly wheel of anengine, of a toothed gear member carried by the fly wheel, an

air pump agear wheel operatively eonneeted with the pump for actuatingthe latter, a compressed air reservoir communicating with the pump andadapted to receive air therei'rmn an air motor, means for establishingand interrupting communication between the air reservoir and air motorfor actuating the motor at will. a longi-tndi nally movable shaftoperatively connected with the air motor and adapted to be rotatedthereby, an intermediary gear member carried by the shaft and adapted tobe thrown into and out of mesh with the toothed gear wheel, said shafthaving an end rotatably mounted within an apertured shitterhead, meanscarried by the shifter head and shaft for retaining them againstrelative axial movement, a hollow cylindrieel member in which theshifter head is roslots, and a handle on the shifter head for moving itrelative to the cylindrical sleeve and thereby shifting the stud fromone to another of the lateral slots, for ad usting the position of thegear member on the shaft with relation to the gear member on the flywheel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JQHN DEAM KNEEDLER.

Witnesses:

B. I. STEWART, K. SLOTSKY.

